Holga Reinhard (1853-1902), The Painter Ane Marie Hansen, 1897

Holga Reinhard, The Painter Ane Marie Hansen, 1897

An interior is a fitting symbol of the space allowed for female artists; they were quite limited in terms of both their social life and what was considered suitable subject matter for women. But the home and studio also provided a setting for alternative professional networks.

In this monumental image Holga Reinhard has portrayed a colleague whom she presumably met at the Vilhelm Kyhn art school for women, where both women studied in the early 1870s. Ane Marie Hansen appears both statuesque and reserved.

Female artists

Ane Marie Hansen had her debut at Charlottenborg in 1884 and exhibited there more than 30 times. But she is not featured in any museum collections. Her portrait serves as a respectful memorial to one of the many female artists who never won a place in art history’s canon.